PROJECT SUMMARY Arkansas PRAMS Category B The Arkansas Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey is an on-going, population-based surveillance system that collects state-specific information on mothers'behaviors and experiences that occur before, during, and after pregnancy that might affect their health or the health of their baby. PRAMS provides information that is not available from the birth certificate or other sources. The survey contains questions about such topics as pregnancy intention, prenatal care, birth control, breastfeeding, insurance coverage, well-child care, and pregnancy intention, physical abuse The goal of Arkansas PRAMS is to reduce infant mortality and morbidity, promote maternal health, and to help understand why some babies are born healthy and others are not. This goal supports the Arkansas Department of Health's mission to protect and improve the health and well-being of all Arkansans. Arkansas has been conducting the PRAMS survey since 1997. Data from the PRAMS survey can be used to identify women who are at high risk for health problems, to monitor changes in maternal health indicators, develop prevention strategies, and to measure progress in improving the health of mothers and their infants. PRAMS is a mail/telephone survey. Each month, Arkansas randomly samples of over 200 recent mothers from the Arkansas birth certificate files. Mothers who do not respond to either of three mail surveys are contacted for a telephone interview.